MORE than half of North Yorkshire's police stations have closed in the last decade, a Home Office report has revealed.

But the force said today that many of the closures were of police houses and that policing in the county had, if anything, improved as a result.

The Home Office figures reveal that 74 police stations out of 115 in North Yorkshire have closed since 1991.

That is the highest percentage of any force in England and Wales. But a North Yorkshire Police spokesman said the figures were misleading, as many of the properties would have been police houses that were not open to the public or staffed round the clock.

He said the closures - many of the buildings have been sold off - had had a "terrific" effect on crime in the county.

"We have gained a lot of money to spend on policing," he said.

The spokesman added that the closure of the Strensall police office highlighted the improvements closures had brought.

"The office moved to Clifton Moor which is where the need is. They now have a better police station that serves a bigger area more effectively," he said.

Updated: 11:50 Monday, March 26, 2001